A Recipient’s Perspective: Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers

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The speaking remarks were delivered in English. To request a French version, please contact lg@ontario.ca.

Your Honour, distinguished guests, mentors, families, and, above all, the extraordinary young
people we are here to celebrate today.

I am so proud of every one of you. And I hope that, today, you are proud of yourselves, too.
Before I say anything else, look at the person sitting beside you. You are looking at someone
who saw a need in their community and refused to believe it was someone else’s responsibility
to solve it. They saw an obstacle, asked “What can I do?”, and answered with action.

That question is where leadership begins.

A few years ago, I was sitting exactly where you are sitting today.

I remember wondering whether I truly belonged among them. If a small voice has asked you
whether you are doing enough, hear me clearly: You belong here.

You belong here because of the work you have already done and the courage it took to begin.
But you are not here simply to celebrate past accomplishments. Ontario does not just need your
potential, Ontario needs your participation, your ideas, and your courage.
Because the truth is this: You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the architects of the
present.

You did not wait until tomorrow to launch a nonprofit, organize a community initiative, or push for
change. You acted. That is why this medal matters: it is recognition of the work you have
already done, not a reward for what you might do someday.

But recognition carries responsibility. When I received this medal years ago, I did not see it as a
reason to slow down. At the time, Project Impacting Lives was just 20 care packages prepared
in a small room. Today, it has grown into a community-driven effort distributing over 10,000 care
products to people experiencing hardship across Canada, from Toronto, London, Waterloo,
Hamilton and Ottawa to Vancouver and Prince Edward Island. Later, serving as President of the
Toronto Youth Advisory Council, President of the Canadian Young Economic Forum, and Chair
of the York University Black Alumni Network all stemmed from this catalyst.

The medal was a catalyst for me. I want it to be a catalyst for you, too. What becomes possible
because you received this recognition?

Now, I want you to look behind you. Look at the parents, guardians, mentors, teachers, and
friends who came here to celebrate you. Can we give them a round of applause?

No meaningful achievement happens in isolation. Leadership may begin with an individual
decision, but its greatest impact is achieved collectively. When one passionate leader links
hands with another, 1 plus 1 doesn’t equal 2, it becomes a movement.

Imagine what happens if the relationships formed in this room become something much larger.
What if past and present recipients of the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers built a living
network where changemakers share experiences, find mentors, and collaborate on the
challenges that matter most?

This does not start with an elaborate structure. It starts with a conversation, an introduction, and
a decision to help another person succeed.

So, to every recipient here today: Keep building. Keep showing up for your communities. When
the work feels slow or resources are limited, remember why you started and the people whose
lives became a little easier because you refused to look away.

Stay humble enough to listen, courageous enough to lead, and generous enough to collaborate.
Next week, when the formal attire is put away and the excitement begins to settle, I have one
final request: Put the medal away. Roll up your sleeves. And get back to work.
Because architects do not simply admire the blueprint. They build.

Let’s build together. The best is yet to come!